Anyone Else's Needle Got Stuck?

[James Lowney]

Dear All,

At a recent trip to a psychotherapist who specialises in PTSD he put something to me in a way which just clicked and I was wondering whether anyone else could identify.

I work in a very stressful profession ( as I'm sure some of you do) where PTSD is quite common. I'm not a soldier but I'm a journalist who has chosen to work in some pretty awful places. Usually, when you are out in the field, its for a set period of time, depending on the story but usually no more than 6 weeks. Anyway in a hostile enviornment you are, quite rightly, in a state of hypervigilince as it is very dangerous.

So imagine a dial with 0 = no anxiety and 10 = Panic Attack.

In a hostile environment I would say I hover around the 8 to 9 mark. In 2006 though I spent a full six months in such an environment. So everyday, for six month, I was hypervigilint and full of anxiety. When I got back home I was a wreck. I was diagnosed with PTSD and sleep deprivation disorder. The psychotherapist I am seeing is also a former war correspondent who also cracked under pressure and decided to help other journalists with PTSD by becoming a therapist.

He explained that what can happen to people is that on the dial if you hover in the 8 to 10 bracket for too long the needle gets stuck! Which I thought hit the nail on the head as I can't unwind. You may know what its like. You get home after a stressful day at work and most people relax and breath a sigh of relief. Not this time round. My needle is still stuck whether I'm relaxing at home, having a bath, driving a car. Its not as bad as it was when I got back, then I was almost house bound, but some days are still tough.

So, it doesn't matter what profession you are in, I was wondering whether anyone else's needle has got stuck?

Thanks, in advance

Marc

 

[Hashi]

Yes, that's a really good description of it. I hadn't thought about other people getting home from work and their needle going down automatically to a three or four, say. Or the idea of the needle going down at all without having to do a big ton of work to force it down. I feel upset thinking about that. Not upset with you, with the way things are.

Oh well, that's how it is. I think I'll try using the needle image as a visualisation, I want a zero!

 

[naturebaby_85]

Needle stuck - what a brilliant analogy!

Your therapist sounds great - I'm on the hunt for a specialist that may do therapy via Skype and specialises in ptsd myself.

I'm an expat in France at the moment and struggling to find a therapist locally,

 

[James Lowney]

@ nature baby... If you'd like a link to his website and what he does I'd be happy to furnish it to you by PM. I don't think he'd do Skype though as he thinks the best treatment is EMDR which requires one on one contact. He's based in London.

J

 

[James Lowney]

@ Hashi... I think getting a 0 on the scale impossible, you'd have to be a Budhist!!! I'd settle for a 3- to 4 in downtime, 5 to 7 when working :)

 

[mamachick]

That is absolutely a brilliant analogy. Yes, my needle has been stuck.

 

[Abstract]

Another stuck needle here James. Darn annoying isn't it?

It is a wonderful analogy and I love the explanation that spending too long at a high level can result in it getting stuck! What I seem to find now is that I work and work and work to get it down a few bars, and then the first tiny activity I undertake sends it straight back up again and again it is stuck. :rolleyes:

Oh, and Hashi, if you were at a zero you would basically be comatose. You need a little to give you some get up and go!

 

[Hashi]

Hmmm... not getting much support for my zero here. I can understand needing some stress, but isn't anxiety different? Stress being alertness/agitation and anxiety being fear? I don't mean to be picky, but I see them as different things. Maybe I'm not using proper definitions, since I don't really do theory and terminology, but I DO want zero anxiety. Some stress I can accept.

Anyway, I'm aiming high. Er... low. ;)

 

[James Lowney]

Its so nice to have some people sharing that they have also got their ' needle stuck.' :) It makes me feel not alone which I guess is what this forum is about, so kudos to the moderators and you for your responses.

I can't speak for anyone, as I still have untreated PTSD though I am working on it, but I think having the ' needle' set at 4 to 7 is healthy. Its what stops you driving down the motorway at 110 mph. A little bit of anxiety is healthy and needed to get on safely in life. I just got stuck in the 8 to 10 bracket which isn't healthy.

But anyway, thank you for your responses. It has meant a lot! And I mean that.

J

 

[Abstract]

That's cool Hashi. We all have our own interpretation. Happy zero hunting!

I think of it a little as the fuel pedal of a motorcar. Sleep is zero fuel. Panic attack and other stuff is spinning my wheels 8 or so. I seem to do a lot of wheel spinning in general these days! Lots of fuel and going nowhere....

Welcome to the forum James.

 

[James Lowney]

Thanks Abstract. Motocar suggests you are American, where I lived for a few years. With my anxiety my foot is always at the metal. I don't think I'd last around a NASCAR track. Think I'd spin off first round :)

 

[Abstract]

That made me think. I am not an American! In fact am a fellow Londoner. It is a pretty old fashioned term. Or too much time on American websites?! Possible.